the keepers
by JessWilcock
Summary: set about 90 pages into last sacrifice, where they are checking into the hotel. this is my version of what happens after. my first fanfic i really hope you like it.!
1. Chapter 1

**AN: hey guys, this is my first fanfic. i hope you like set about 90 pages into the book where they are checking into the hotel and this is my version of what happened after.**

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><p><em>Sydney checked us in under fake names, and the sleepy desk clerk didn't ask any questions. We walked down a hall that wasn't dirty exactly but also wasn't anything a royal would have gone near. A cleaning cart leaned against one wall, as though someone had given up and abandoned it. Sydney suddenly came to a halt in front of a room and handed us a key. I realized she was heading off to a different room.<em>

"_We're not all staying together?" I asked._

"_Hey, if you guys get caught, I don't want to be anywhere near you," she said, with a smile. I had a feeling she also didn't want in the same room as 'evil creatures of the night.'_

"_I'll still be nearby, though. We'll talk in the morning."_

_This made me realize something else. I eyed Dimitri. "we're sharing a room?" _

_Sydney shrugged." All the better to defend yourselves."_

_She left us in that abrupt way of hers, and Dimitri and glanced at each other briefly before heading into the hotel room. Like the rest of the motel, it wasn't fancy, but it would do. The carpet was worn but intact, and I appreciated the weak attempt at decorating with a very bad painting of some pears. A small window looked sad. There was one bed_

Dimitri walked in, immediately taking in his surroundings. Even after turning back from being strigoi for several weeks Dimitri never lost his dhampir senses, the large part of our brain that's always saying, _protect, serve _and_ fight. _I care about Adrian very much, but even that couldn't stop me from admiring Dimitri, we were so alike that it would be easy to be with him. Unfortunately the universe had other ideas, and Dimitri didn't want anything to do with me.

"You can take the first shower. I'll make a bed on the couch." He said, tiredly. I almost forgot that this had to have been a draining day for him. Car chases and prison break outs tend to wear a person out. Even if that person was Dimitri.

"Okay, but I'll sleep on the couch" I said. Dimitri was far too big to fit on the little sofa in the room.

The warm water was heaven on my tired muscles. After spending a week in a prison cell with showers less than 5 minutes, I was glad to wash off the dirt and sweat that I had collected during the day without watching eyes and a timer over my head.

Walking out of the bathroom, i find Dimitri reading. He was sitting in the only chair in the was a straight backed wooden chair, but he seemed to regard it as the most comfortable thing in the world.

"You should get some rest, I'm sure tomorrow will be a long day" I say gently. He looks like he wants to say something to this, but he obviously just lets it go.

"I will wake you at 8 in the morning. We have a lot to discuss" he replies.

"Hell yes we do. No one has told me anything all day" I grumble, as I try to make myself comfortable on the couch.

Only now does it occur to me that me and Dimitri haven't really fought since leaving, and the picture and Dimitri fighting for me when the royal guard came for me, popped into my head. That memory stayed with me as I drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be long day.

I was getting good at predicting a spirit dream now, so when I felt the telltale signs of one of Adrians spirit dreams I thought I would be fully prepared. What I was not expecting was the way Adrian looked, bloodshot eyes with big red rub marks under them and the complete tormented state he was in. I had only been gone a day and he already looked a mess.

"What happened, is Lissa okay?" I asked, I already knew she was okay through the bond, but I couldn't help but worry.

"Of course little dhampir, everyone is fine." Adrian replies. With a tight lipped smile that reminded me too much of my mother.

"What aren't you telling me?" I ask in my stop-the-bull-shit voice.

"It's just the thought that you're so far away, I have no idea if you're okay. I would have no clue if you got hurt." There was something he wasn't telling me, and I wasn't just going to let it go.

"Adrian, that's not the whole story is it?" I say.

I could tell he was debating whether to tell me or not, but obviously whatever was on his mind was important enough.

"I can't stand the thought of you and Belikov out there on your own." He says in a long rush.

I could understand why he is worried. I mean he spent months at St. Vlads watching me chase after Dimitri.

"What happened with Dimitri, well, its old news. Trust me, nothing is going to happen there anytime soon." I hated to admit how hard it was for me to say that.

"Rose, you are amazing. I don't know why I doubted you." he says while coming over to me and sweetly kissing my lips.

"Well I know I am pretty amazing." I say cheekily.

"Rose, Rose what ever will I do with you." he replies in an exasperated voice. "I really do have to go, but I will see you soon."

As he said that everything began to slowly fade around me. I couldn't say that I will ever really get used to that. I then returned to sweet, peaceful blackness.

As I awoke the next morning, thoughts of my dream visit with Adrian came back to me. I could feel the small smile creeping up on my face.

"What are you smiling about?" came the stone cold voice, making me jump slightly.

"Nothing, just a good dream. And good morning to you sunshine." I say in a bored tone.

"You should be more on guard" said Dimitri. Telling me he obviously didn't miss my jump when he spoke earlier.

"Whatever, Dimitri. I just want to go get breakfast. Can Sydney come as well?" I say figuring we would be going to the sad little diner I saw on the way here.

"No, she cannot." He says shortly.

"Fine" I leave it at that so he knows that I'm angry with him.

_The diner _food wasn't too bad; everything reminded me a lot of the hotel. Very worn but still functional. They had coffee and pancakes so I was fine with eating there. It made me sad to think that I couldn't enjoy my old favorite foods, such as brownies and pepperoni pizza anymore. After what happened with the old Dimitri in St. Petersburg, I just couldn't look at those things the same way.

Dimitri seemed to notice my change in eating habits, but didn't say anything. I think any reminder of the way he was before me and Lissa changed him back was painful for him.

In an effort to avoid the elephant in the room, I decided I'd better get some answers.

"So Dimitri, what's the plan?"

"We sit tight and wait for your name to be cleared."

I was waiting for the punch line, but when Dimitri returned to eating his bacon and eggs, I had to conclude there was none.


	2. Chapter 2

I knew I couldn't make a scene in the diner, Dimitri had planned it well. He always thinks of everything, always planning. He knows me to well, I already knew this but the reminder wasn't all that pleasant. If I was going to get out of this, I would have to be creative.

"I have to use the toilet, excuse me." I say as nonchalantly as I could.

"Okay"

Once in the bathroom I quickly assess the situation. One basin, three stalls and one window. The window was up high, too high to simply climb out.

I climbed up the center divider between the stalls closest to the window and took a second to decide my next move, I don't know how I'm going to get out this, all I know is that I can't stay here while everyone back at court is risking their necks. I take a deep breath, and jump.

I almost couldn't believe it when my hands caught the window ledge, with one hand I undid the latch and then carefully pulled myself out. Thank god Dimitri made me do all those weights back at St. Vlads. Once I was out, I jumped to the ground trying to make as little sound as possible. I still didn't doubt Dimitri would come looking for me if I didn't return soon.

Dimitri made us walk to the diner for breakfast in case something happened and Sydney needed the car. Therefor I had no means for a fast escape. The only option left was the forest. I sliped my shoes off and started making my way into the trees, I didn't want to think what would happen if i couldn't navigate my way to the hotel.

"Excuse me. Young lady, are you alright?" it took me a while to register that the kind looking human women was talking to me. I saw that she was standing by a car, with a worried expression on her face. This could be my way back to Sydney, I turned on the tears to make myself look as miserable as possible.

"My boyfriend in there just told my he was seeing another woman. He was the only one with a car now I'm stranded out here. I come from Georgia." I say as I sob. I'm painfully aware of my time ticking away.

"You poor girl, here let me give you a ride." She says in such a pitiful tone that it made me feel a little bad for deceiving her.

"Oh thank you so much, can you take me to the motel?" I almost whisper.

"Of course sweetie, I'm Charlie." Charlie says as she gets in the car.

"I'm rose" I whisper with a small smile

Not long after leaving the diner I see Dimitri speeding towards the motel, he could be a problem.

"Oh my god, that was him. He's going to be at the motel I don't think I can face him yet. Can you just drop me off down the street a bit?" I say

"Anything you want rose."

After Charlie drove off, leaving just down the street from the motel I start jogging there. Hopefully Dimitri will expect what I was planning on doing before changing the plan. Sure enough when I peak around the corner I see him running into the forest, searching for me.

I didn't have long to get Sydney and get on the road. When I Sydney opens the door after me knocking so many times, I think thought she was dreaming.

"Rose?" she says in a disbelieving tone.

"Yeah, it's me. Look, we have to get on the road. No time to explain, just please, trust me." I say as I start packing her few possessions.

"okay rose, you know I trust you." I thought I heard her say ' I wish I didn't' but I let it drop, I had too many other problems right now.

I quickly gathered the small amount of things that Sydney bought me and the very meager cash i had. As we got in the car Sydney just seemed to realize Dimitri wasn't with us.

"Please, let's just go." A gave her a look that told her that I dint want to talk about it.

"We can't just leave him here." I think she realized that she wasn't going to win this fight.

"He's resourceful, he'll think of something." I say while checking the clock on the dash board, it told me that we had to get going _now_.

"Do you know somewhere where we can go?"

"Sure" she says thoughtfully, I watched as she punched in _Altswood, West Virginia _into the GPS.

"Just once I wished you would right something like _Florida." _I say trying to lighten the mood.

"Altswood is just the closest thing the GPS can find, after there we will be heading to a… argh… small town." Sydney was the worst liar ever; I could tell she was lying almost faster than I would if she was Lissa.

"What do you reckon _Zmey _thinks about this?" Sydney was always so worried about Abe, I was so surprised when she agreed without even saying anything about him.

She gave me a half smile that looked more guilty than anything "Well, I was hoping you could have a father, daughter chat when we get back." She said sheepishly.

"Sure thing Sydney, I owe you one already." I say referring to not asking questions when we left.

"You should get some sleep. You're going to need where were going." She says

That should of set my alarms bells going, but I was too tired to care, it really hadn't been more than a few hours since I woke up, my second daring escape seemed to tire me out. Soon my eyelids were too heavy to keep open and I feel into a dreamless sleep.

I had been hoping to see Adrian but when I woke up all thoughts of my love life fled my mind. At first I thought Sydney had driven off the road.

"Where are we?" I say

"Altswood." She answers not meeting my eyes.

"Okay Sydney, what's going on?" I say in my best stop-messing-around voice.

This was it, the big explanation. The thing she's been hiding from me since we got in the car.

"the alchemists have knowledge about small villages that live on the edge of society, the like to think of themselves as people who still keep old traditions. Think of them as vampire Amish and they are against current politics." in a weird way this was probably the safest place for a accused queen killer who escaped jail, but the thought of living without electricity and laws frightened me a little.

"Okay, but why do you look so guilty?"

"well, they are a little…savage." she whispers.

"Sydney sage I am insulted. You don't think I can protect you?" I say in mock outrage.

"Of course you can, you the best i know. It's just that I feel like I'm doing something stupid." I couldn't help but think how far our relationship had come.

"There's only one way to find out, come on." I say trying to lift the mood.

When we got out of the car I saw a small dirt track leading into what looked like a very dense forest. I though Sydney was going to walk in the opposite direction towards the road, however I should of known that the little dirt track was exactly where she was leading me.


End file.
